The Sari Doesn't Need Saving
Why globalization is good for this gorgeous Indian outfit
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But that hardly means that the sari is headed for extinction.
Globalization is certainly giving Indian women options outside the sari, forcing it to share wardrobe space with cocktail dresses, evening gowns, and corporate pant-suits. But it is also giving them more options within the sari. The stodgy-old men and the Indian guidos are still there in Connaught Place and Karol Bagh respectively selling traditional benaresis and tanchois. But these markets are now supplemented with trendy new malls such as Square One in the outskirts of New Delhi whose sales staff consists of well-turned out girls with trim figures. More to the point, Square One saris reflect a cross-pollination of ideas, a blending of traditional and Western elements, that wouldn’t be possible without globalization. The biggest transformation is the cocktailization of the blouses worn beneath the sari that are becoming skimpier and bolder—driving traditionalists crazy. But the saris themselves are experimenting with all kinds of new fabrics and designs, sometimes with absolutely stunning results. I am still fantasizing about a black crepe sari I saw some years ago studded with Swarovski crystals and kundan stones—kind of like rough-cut diamonds used in Indian jewelry—with a matching backless blouse, all for the modest sum of $10,000, which, incidentally, Indian woman can more easily afford thanks to the greater disposable income that globalization has put in their bejeweled purses!
I canvassed a group of Indian friends—engineers, Bollywood script-writers, entrepreneurs, executives, doctors, dancers—inside and outside India, all of whom have a healthy interest in fashion, and asked them how they felt when they wore a sari. The words they used were: feminine, beautiful, sexy, glamorous, chic, classy, different, comfortable, rooted, confident, and, above all, in keeping with our modern times, powerful. I am sure if I had posed the same question to women in my mother’s generation, they would have said: traditional, beautiful, honorable, appropriate, respectable, chaste/pure, domestic, spiritual.
In short, the sari has seamlessly transformed itself, trading the values of tradition for those of modernity. Some garments are specific, sociologically contingent. A sari is eternal because ever evolving. And as it evolves, far from fading in India, its appeal will likely spread, gaining it new converts outside India. I am waiting for Angelina Jolie to appear in a black lycra sari with a leather bustier in the next Tomb Raider!
All that designers need to do to “save” the sari then is to figure out what women want from their saris and give it to them. If they are looking for a crusade, the Bengal Tigers really could use some help.
Shikha Dalmia, a native of India, is a senior analyst at
Reason Foundation and a Forbes columnist. This column originally
appeared at Forbes.
Editor's Note: We invite comments and request that they be civil and on-topic. We do not moderate or assume any responsibility for comments, which are owned by the readers who post them. Comments do not represent the views of Reason.com or Reason Foundation. We reserve the right to delete any comment for any reason at any time.
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Q: How is the sari an important libertarian concern?
A:
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Circumcision is a legit concern, when the subject is legally compelling them. Video games are a legit concern, when the subject is censoring or controlling them.
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Male circumcision has been defended in the medical community, it's a parent's choice for their babies, or would you prefer to have the state raise the kids?
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That was a bleek statement. Obummer!
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A: When it's an excuse to post pictures of attractive women.
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Defense of free trade.
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Interstate commerce?
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Illiberal, anti-market, status quo loving mental midgets use the sari, in the case of India, and any other culturally resonant touchstones they can point to, to instill fear against change, the world, progress, freedom, markets, etc. Article explains why they're wrong. Capiche?
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Holy shit...just when I think the subjects here can't get any more inane...you prove me wrong!
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...and it's horrible the way they forced you guys to read those articles. Horrible. Almost TSA-like in their level of brutality, demanding you scour every inch, every word.
As for me, what I'm getting sick of are the whiny posts about some thread not being someone's cup of tea. Here's a tip: if you don't think you'll like it, don't fucking read it.
I don't read a lot of Ron Bailey's stuff. Because I think he's wrong, or a crappy writer? No. Because I don't like his disclosures? No. It's because I'm not super interested in AGW, GM foods, human-animal chimeras, etc. Here's what I don't do: go on those threads and whine about how boring they are, and demand that they entertain me harder, or provide proof that this is a True Libertarian Issue ™.
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Ah, but the only way to changes things is to agitate! Enough protestations against certain kinds of content could alter the content selection criteria. You probably don't think people should voter either, huh, Mr. Oppressor?
You've kinda played yourself here, since you could apply the same principles to your own behavior. You didn't have to tell them you didn't like their not liking, but you did. You weren't forced to read or respond to their comments either. Rank hypocrisy!
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True, but their comments don't have headlines that explain the content in advance. Otherwise, I could have known to avoid them, and not clicked to add a comment.
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Hey dick breath, I was giving my opinion just like you! If you don't like my opinion don't fucking read it.
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How do I know I don't like your opinion if I don't fucking read it?
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I'll know not to read your comments from now on.
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That will work out well for you....you can stay the dumb fuck you always have been!
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Yes, missing such shining wit, I will obviously remained unenlightened. Such is life.
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"entertain"???? Maybe that's the problem....I thought Reason was suppose to be serious.
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You don't like hot women in sexy outfits?
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You can do both. And doing so makes for a more interesting magazine.
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Your complaints about my complaints undermine your argument, fool. That's right. I called you a fool. If you don't like it, stop reading it. Fool.
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As I said above, your comment didn't have a headline that explained the content in advance. I'll now know not to read your crap anymore.
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I live in a suburb of Dallas, Texas, and in a 2 mile radius of my office there are at least 4 sari shops/tailors/whatever.
Yeah. It "needs" saving.
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Why do we need to tiptoe around these cultural "values"? If clothing can even be called that. We make fun of Americans who try to do basically the same thing. Why the double standard with "foreigners"?
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Who is asking you to tiptoe? Shikha Dalmia expressed that a traditional Indian garment was not really threatened by globalization, the reasons being maybe aesthetic and emotional, but the point being reasonable. I don't think anybody here is demanding you be PC and not express what a silly subject you think this is.
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I was making a general point about multiculturalism. Not specific to this article. But still, this is Reason. I would expect cries about fundamentalism, theocracy and what have you this was about a methodist or baptist issue. Unlike this article. I wasn't just calling it a stupid topic.
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_
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I thought Reason was suppose to be serious.
Close enough, if you know what I mean...
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Don't you mean "sariuous?"
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Bunch of dorky looking chicks.
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There was a more interesting picture of a lone woman, a South Asian, affixed to this story earlier.
For demographic purposes, please note that I didn't read this article either.
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I'm wrapping up attending a (3 day long) wedding where my wife wore a sari. Since she is entirely Western, perhaps we should be more worried about Indian attire threatening traditional Western modes of dress.
In all seriousness, however, shrieking about loss of national identity (and promotion of accompanying regulation) is a staple of Indian politics. Libertarianism would do the south Asian nation much good, which was the point of this article.
A pox on all those who complained this article wasn't relevant. It was an excellent article on fashion that was also imbued with libertarian ideology.
If Reason ran more articles like this, they might get more readers.
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Oh, and I forgot to add that I am noticing saris worn in Western workplaces from time to time. I would expect it to eventually be commonplace in workplaces with a liberal dress code.
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And guys are still stuck with khakis and a collared shirt. Sexism, straight-up.
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It's amazing that 40+ years later, dudes are still dressing like the Professor from Gilligan's Island.
Note: he didn't get to bang Ginger or Mary Ann, because he looked like a fucking Blockbuster employee.
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What's "Blockbuster"?
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I'll be in my bunk.
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+1
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Dear Reason,
Entertain me harder.
Sincerely,
Slacking at work on a Friday
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Go here
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Reason:
The Internet content "Tasteless" is filtered.
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URL:http://rctlfy.wordpress.com/ -
phalkorwafflesYou are so right! I need your expert tutelage. I love your style!
If only, they would filter the most boring shit I have ever read. This Felix guy is a toad
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you're such a tool. I was at work and it was what the webfilter said. Way to go crazy cyberstalker on me, freak.
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I'm trying to figure out what my "oh no, multiculturalism is ruining it" cultural artifact would be.
Porn if we all got more religious?
Short skirts if the world entered a new ice age?
Jeans if the workplace got a formalistic bug up its butt?yeah, probably that last one.
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Way too much dick swinging here. Is this a boys only club?
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Most women would prefer trolling retail sites on ebay/slickdeals.net, checking out the latest celebrity divorce scandal on perezhilton.com, or at best, reading news on MSNBC or CNN.
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With sparkling conversationalists such as yourself, who could blame us?
Or maybe we just tend to avoid the comments sections to get away from the boring sexist trolls.
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The sari will evolve. There will be fashion creations that include the styling and colors if people want it without the attendant inconveniences.
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Shashi Tharoor is a jerk, unless those reporters are naked it's none of his goddamm business. Moreover, I'm not against cultural globalization if it helps Indians get rid of some of their backward practices, such as worshiping cows, the rat temple, phobias regarding the showing a man kissing a woman in a movie, etc. Of course, it's politically incorrect to call any culture "backwards," but if Indian women want to get rid of their Sari's I say let them. India would be better off embracing the cultural superiority of western civilization and letting go of their backward third world ways. Of course, this is if they want to, I do believe that people have the right to be stupid.
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I almost fell asleeping.
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is good
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The usage of the saree, especially among working women, has reduced. It's more convenient to put on a a shirt and pant or a Salvar (Indian version of pant) and Kameez (Indian long shirt).
A saree is a think of beauty.